The application of UV gel to fingernails is an increasingly popular method of decorating fingernails in place of ordinary nail enamel. In this process, a salon technician spreads a layer of UV gel on a fingernail and then sets the finger under a UV light which cures the gel. Normally, several gel layers are required. For example, a base coat of UV gel is followed by a pigment-containing UV gel coat and then one or more sealing UV gel coats are applied thereafter. Each of individual layers must be individually brushed on a by a technician and then fully cured under a UV light before an additional coat can be applied. This makes the process extremely time-consuming and burdensome. The skilled technician time that is required in addition to the cost of the materials makes the process very expensive. In fact, a typical UV gel application could take well over an hour and sometime more to apply. If a nail extension is required, the process requires even more labor and skill—thereby increasing the time and cost thereof.
In addition to the time and expense associated with UV applications, there are potential health risks as well. The application requires repeated exposure to UV waves and the gel when cured in contact with a fingernail may damage and weaken the nail. Furthermore, once the UV gel is cured on a fingernail—it is very difficult to remove.
Typically, the layers must be filed off or left to grow out with the natural nail as conventional nail polish removers do not work.